While regulated cannabis is beginning to spread across the nation more and more every year, there is still major interest in cannabis tourism. Travelers from prohibition states or even outside of the United States flock to areas like Denver and Los Angeles to experience the local cannabis culture. Outside of those major city hubs, more and more regions are making their mark when it comes to cannabis ‘must try’ cities. Palm Springs, California, has an incredible dispensary/lounge that hosts comedy shows, drag shows, and concerts with local talent. Eugene, Oregon, is home to a dispensary that lives in a converted sorority house that, of course, offers student discounts. Seed & Smith in Denver, Colorado, allows guests to tour their facility and see plants growing in rowing in live time. While these specific cases are, of course, unique identifiers, they do drive tourist traffic all year round. Cannabis tourism is largely becoming a staple factor in some cannabis users’ travel plans. No matter where you are, you can capitalize on this and become your local hub for weary travelers. Here are our favorite ways to build your traveling clientele and become the go-to place for anyone passing through town.
Digital Footprints Gets Feet in the Door
How do you figure out where to go when you land in a new city? That’s right, the internet. While Yelp and Trip Advisor may feel superfluous (especially when compared to Weedmaps and Leafly), these outlets are helpful when it comes to driving interest from non-locals. While it makes sense to encourage Google reviews, be sure to also have some callouts to Yelp and Trip Advisor to widen that net.
After working to boost your reviews, it’s also an excellent time to make sure your menu listings on Weedmaps, Leafly, and IHeartJane are all up to date. Some more seasoned cannabis shoppers may be looking for specific brands or types of potency to enjoy on their trip. Make it easy for potential shoppers to seek out your menu and take advantage of the deal listings on those platforms. Most menus can showcase several deals on your dispensary’s listing, and that can include veteran, educator, or first-time discounts to entice new customers. While most dispensaries have a presence on at least one menu service, not all take advantage of the marketing tools within these platforms. Take the time to maximize your presence- it’s worth it.
Make Your Mark in Magazines
Another trademark of a traveler is checking out local restaurants and magazines. Las Vegas Weekly, the East Bay Express, and Denver’s Westword are great examples of localized free magazines that locals and tourists love to pick up to see what’s happening in their city. While not all regions allow cannabis advertising in print, if you can take advantage of these kinds of magazines can be particularly profitable. Doing an ongoing quarter page may be one of the most cost-effective ways to maintain a presence for anyone who picks up one of these publications. While tracking its’ effectiveness may be tricky, you could offer a deal for anyone who brings the ad in to best track the CAC for the campaign.
Create a Welcoming Space
Within the walls of your dispensary, you can customize your sales floor to be something sharable on social media. This naturally attracts tourists itching for a FOMO-worthy photo dump and gives your regular customers something to look forward to. Some areas don’t allow phones (particularly with medical patients) on dispensary sales floors, so check out your waiting area and see if you can implement a photo moment. Installing a photo booth or a mural wall to encourage tagged photos makes your space welcoming and exciting to visit. This will also encourage visitors to share their photos and their experiences with your dispensary, further reiterating those positive reviews and bringing in even more people.
Put Education First
When it comes to consuming in new areas, especially for tourists coming from prohibition states, education on what is and isn’t allowed in your area is key. After a new guest is checked in, the budtender can walk through not only your offerings but where you can and can’t consume. Most areas don’t allow cannabis consumption in public, and some shoppers straight up need to be reminded of that. Some areas do have consumption lounges or regulated areas to consume safely, and others only allow consumption in privately owned residences as allowed by the owner. If your budtender notices that the guest is traveling, it would be a good idea to also remind them that transporting medicated cannabis across state lines or via plane is federally illegal. Some stores with lots of tourist traffic have handouts with what is and isn’t allowed for those not as familiar with cannabis regulations.
One fun aspect of attracting tourists is seeing the different ID formats across the world. Seeing lots of different IDs, however, can open you up to getting caught with fake IDs- and that’s no fun. Now that you’re caught up on attracting tourists, check out our blog on catching fake IDs to keep your dispensary compliant.
